What Are Home Inspectors Not Allowed to do?

After analyzing observable evidence, a home inspector provides a report and answers the client’s questions. However, some ethical and legal requirements prevent the inspector from carrying out certain activities. These requirements carry with them a heavy penalty in case of violation.

This article discusses things that home inspectors are not allowed to do.

High-risk Inspections

These are the activities that pose serious threats to the safety of the inspector himself or the people residing in the home.

The home inspector is not allowed to work in high-risk scenarios. So, the house inspection will be put to a halt till immediate safety hazards are resolved.

Damage the Property

A home inspector is not authorized to damage the client’s property in any way during his engagement. Invasive actions such as removing the carpets for flooring inspection, tearing up walls to check wires, opening valves, etc., are prohibited.

All the techniques that the inspector uses in his approach should be non-invasive. The property should remain intact and free from any damages from the inspection process.

Home Appraisal

The most common question that people ask home inspectors is the price of the house and if it’s worth investing that much in the current condition. However, the inspector does not possess sufficient qualifications to make estimates.

Home inspectors are hired to provide their opinion on the state of the house. Thus, determining its market value is beyond their scope of work.

Equipment Not Working

If it comes to the home inspector’s notice that equipment is not working, he will not test them. The inspector can also determine that equipment is not working by simply observing. He is not allowed to disassemble the equipment or other procedures to figure out the root cause of why it’s not working.

Obstructed items

A home can have systems due for inspections obstructed by debris, hazards, or furniture. If a large cupboard is blocking the electric outlet, the inspector cannot be asked to move the large furniture and inspect if the outlet is working.

A home inspector is not allowed to make changes to the aesthetic and visual state of the home. Thus, the client should clear everything out of the way before the inspection.

Repair the inspected home

Finally, a home inspector cannot undertake the contract to repair the home he or his company inspected. Moreover, he cannot comment on the viability of the situation and the time delay after which the faults should be repaired.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, a home inspector is not allowed to work beyond the scope of his work. Thus, he cannot evaluate the home aesthetics, determine insurability, and perform a valuation/estimation on the property itself. His job is to examine the state of home and provide an honest and unbiased report of the same.